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Thursday,
September 11, 2008
Up and Running
2 Timothy 4:1-2 I charge thee therefore
before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead
at his appearing and his kingdom; (2) Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine. (KJV)
This week we have been discussing the
tree of life, and today we will cover the growing season. The reason Paul
uses the term in season and out of season is because in the physical realm
there are certain growing seasons, then there is the harvest, and it starts
all over again. In the spiritual realm, and for those that operate in it,
there is no season or ending to the growth, but rather a continual process
enduring to the end.
Galatians 4:9-10 But now, after that ye
have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak
and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? (10) Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years. (KJV)
Man has invented certain seasons, times
of the year they claim are more special, holy if you would, and that these
are the times when we see the wannabe’s come out of the woodwork doing
their alms before men. When you stop and think about it though, aren’t you
glad that God doesn’t operate in only certain times and then shuts down
again for a season? You can set your watch by these religious dead
organizations because every year whether it is in December or April some
people actually think that God Himself holds these times and seasons above
others as being more holy. Obviously somebody is no longer partaking of the
tree of life but is munching on the forbidden fruit, the one which appeals
to the flesh and is an abomination to the Spirit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man that
trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. (8) For he shall be as a
tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river,
and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall
not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding
fruit. (KJV)
A true child of God, one of His
offspring, knows that they cannot limit God to certain days, or times, or
even months, because like with a tree it can wither away for lack of water.
A healthy tree is one that is green, leafy, and always yielding fruit, that
being the fruit of the Spirit; while those of the world are like groundhogs
that only come out certain times of the year. In time of need isn’t it a
blessing to have a go to God that is available to hear and respond to your
prayers instead of having to wait until Sunday morning to hear Him. For
today, right now, what kind of shape are you in spiritually? Are you
growing and prospering in the Lord yielding His fruit, or has the tree
dried up and withered? The closer you are to the waters, and the more
rooted you become in them, that being living waters, the more you will grow
strong in the Lord and the power of His might.
Mark 11:13-14 And seeing a fig tree afar
off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and
when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was
not yet. (14) And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee
hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. (KJV)
What kind of fruit would the Lord find on
your tree today if He came by? Someone or something that resembles a fig
tree, like with a Christian that should have been full of fruit was barren
and not ready to provide what was needed for one of the Lord’s people? The
Bible is clear to point out that we should be ready always to give an
answer to any that would ask us of the hope of the gospel, and that would
be Christ in you the only hope of glory. So how you may ask would the Lord
approach you this day, and how would you know?
Matthew 25:37-40 Then shall the righteous
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or
thirsty, and gave thee drink? (38) When saw we thee a stranger, and took
thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? (39) Or when saw we thee sick, or in
prison, and came unto thee? (40) And the King shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (KJV)
What are your true motives for serving
the Lord? Are you doing all things from the heart unto Him, or are you like
the many that do their alms before men so that they can get their reward
from them instead of the Lord’s approval? Many retail stores have secret
shoppers that come through the lines acting like regular customers so that
they can grade the checkers at the store. The Lord can appear anytime,
anyplace, in the form of a Christian, hungry and seeking truth, the fruit
of the Spirit. When one of His people comes by will there be anything for
them to partake of from your tree, or will it be barren unfruitful and
dried up from the roots.
Matthew 24:44-47 Therefore be ye also
ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (45) Who
then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his
household, to give them meat in due season? (46) Blessed is that servant,
whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. (47) Verily I say unto
you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. (KJV)
Again we see where the Lord can show up
on your doorstep anytime in the form of someone seeking truth, now the
question is are you ready to give them what is needed? As long as you are
rooted and grounded in the truth, staying planted near the river of life,
or another way of putting it staying seated in the heavenly realm with
Christ, then you will be able to provide the answer to one of our Lord’s
own people, which in reality means we are doing it unto Him personally. If
you knew today the Lord was coming to your house for a meal you would do
everything needed to get your house in order and prepare for His coming. Be
forewarned, many times the Lord has come your way in the form of another
Christian seeking a meal; so how prepared have you been and were you even
aware of the visit?
Ezekiel 47:12 And by the river upon the
bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat,
whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it
shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters
they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat,
and the leaf thereof for medicine. (KJV)
Do you have the meat of the Word to give
to God’s people, or are you still on the milk, acting like a baby? When one
of our Lord’s people comes by to partake of the fruit, will there be
anything on your tree, or will it be blown over by the winds of doctrine?
Revelation 22:1-2 And he shewed me a pure
river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of
God and of the Lamb. (2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either
side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations. (KJV)
Thus the term tree of life; in the
spiritual realm there are no seasons but rather a constant growing process,
a life giving source that is always available. You have access to the tree
of life now, today, so that you can be up and running, not shut down or
blown over by the storms of the world.
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